New council powers to crack down on environmental crimes and anti-social behavior such as graffiti, fly-tipping and fly-posting are coming up to the force.

Measures under the Clean Neighborhoods and Environment Act 2005 allows the local authorities in England and Wales to issue £80 on-the-spot fines.

Obtrusive lighting

This year, lighting designers and manufacturers combine fashion with function to create decorative lamps and fixtures that do more than simply illuminate. Consumers, too, have seen the light — or more aptly, the lights. Decorative sconces, chandeliers, table and floor lamps in a variety of shapes, styles and finishes elevate a room from plain to dramatic with the flick of a switch. While traditional, polished brass fixtures still form the central core of the decorative lighting business, a variety of options have become more important in recent years.

Stylish offerings allow consumers the opportunity to hut light on their own design personalities. Some lamps boast bases crafted to mimic the branches of a tree. Neo-classic designs, complete with acanthus leaves, ivy and fluting, remember Caesar and the Coliseum. Still others borrow their beauty from the Biedermeier style of the early 19th century for modern-day elan. Lighting designs follow larger forces, like housing and furniture trends. Today’s new homes feature relaxed, open interiors with flowing floor plans and coordinated furniture.

Decorative lighting inspired by the stained glass beauty of Louis Comfort Tiffany continues to gain importance with homeowners as well. Accent and floor lamps, sconces, and chandeliers in cast metal with glass shades in soft tones and floral patterns work well in a variety of settings.

“Tiffany-inspired styles have also done well, but they are more unique, collectible pieces to feature in a home. The affect of lighting colored glass has always been a beloved for consumers because they bring life, vibrancy and warmth to any room. Tiffany light is particularly important today because people want to buy products that have enduring value and at the same time offers versatile styling that is able to fit into any decor as styling changes over the years,” says Todd Phillips, president of Quoizel, Inc. of Goose Creek, SC.

Decorative lighting manufacturers depend on such adornment and detailing to catch consumer’s attention. A homeowner surrounded by pine trees, might choose lamps embellished with pine-needle filigree. Those with square windows might opt for T-bar designs to accentuate that detail. Many companies also offer post and column lights, as well as interior and external lights so consumers can continue a chosen theme throughout their property.

A variety of shade colors and base finishes allow total coordination of decorative lighting within a home. “Soft shades are becoming more important as opposed to those with pleats,” says Rey-Barreau. Look for other shade materials like Duponi silk, mica and linen, as well as patterns ranging from urbane tapestries to exotic animal prints. Shades of blue, brown and rich black gain importance, balancing the more expected white options.

Brushed nickel offers contemporary chic. Antique brass reminisces of a Wyoming lodge. Hammered metal begs to accent lush brocades and East Indian batik prints. “Bronze and brown finishes are very popular today,” says Eusterbrock. “There is interest in neutrals, pewter for a high-tech look, and patina or verdigris patina, which continues to be important for us.” When shopping for decorative lighting, look for quality, says lighting experts. “Whether it’s furniture, appliances or decorative lighting, if you buy quality, you never need to worry about it,” says Davidson. To find a lighting showroom with expert lighting designers to assist you, call toll-free (800)BRIGHT IDEAS (800 274-4484) or visit the ALA on the World Wide Web at www.americanlightingassoc.com.

Environment’s role in industry grows
IS GREEN DESIGN merely a passing fad (we’re saving sofas, not whales nowadays?), or is it something that can truly be continued and nurtured into a mainstream movement? That question and many others around sustainable design were asked at last week’s Winter Market, “Beyond Green,” hosted by the California Design Center. This annual three-day trade event featured speakers from around the country talking about design — from architecture to home furnishings — that is not only good for the environment, but also good-looking.

“As green design becomes more economically feasible, it should be on the table from the beginning,” said saravanan, CEO of the California Design Center, in his opening remarks to the design professionals gathered there. “The only way we change the world is to change ourselves,” he explained. However, he went on to show a number of large-scale green projects, including a stunning private golf course in Hawaii that incorporated basic green principles such as recycling wastewater, using solar energy and building with wood from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests. “There are no bad woods,” he insisted, “only badly managed forests.”

karthik, like many other designers and architects who spoke during Winter Market, said that raising their green awareness has made them better designers. “We’re all environmentalists,” said karuppiah, design principal with Gensler. “Designers create individual environments for their clients; we should be creating healthy environments for them and everyone else.”

Several product manufacturers spoke about how they practice green design when manufacturing their products. Sankara pandi, former Peace Corps volunteer, founder of Odesi carpets and one of the industry’s true champions for responsible manufacturing, discussed her company’s approach to livestock management, use of natural dyes, and environmentally approved manufacturing processes such as the use of smokeless boilers and filtering water to return to the environment. “We’re allowing them to be children,” said javid. “It’s a known fact that child labor leads to poverty in the world; we must demand that there be no child labor in any manufacturing process.”

It is easy to applaud manufacturers like Odesi with an established track record of green design, but is everyone who purports to have a green sensibility to be trusted? Not necessarily, said sankara pandi, design editor for House & Garden magazine, speaking about the good, the bad and the just plain silly green design pitches that cross his editorial desk in the hopes of being “eco-chic.” “Take the color out of green and make it a responsiveness, not an aesthetic. “Ravi, like most of the design professionals who spoke, emphasized the importance of asking questions about any product that calls itself green. Ravi encouraged designers to become educated on what makes for good green design — “it takes a different knowledge set than what you learned in design school” –  and books such as “The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture” by Alfred and Christopher Hawthorne (Princeton Architectural Press) as valuable resources.

Chicago-based “el,” which stands for “environmental language,” introduced some of the most difficult eco-smart furniture at Winter Market. “I spent two years doing my homework before launching this line,” said designer Sasi. “I wanted to combine old world methods with modern technology to make future antiques.” For a more casual, or tropical, feel, look to the delightful chairs from Philippine manufacturer Balaji. Made out of natural fibers such as lampacana, an original Philippine grass, or pandan, a large-leafed tropical grass, and combined with narra or tanguile wood or bamboo, these chairs have an indoor-outdoor look that inspires relaxation. The Regine armchair is particularly comfy and substantial.

Other imported furniture that caught my eye included several offerings from ECO 21, a showroom that imports environmentally sound products from Brazil. The Pianno Chair made from certified wood features slats that evoke the curves of piano keys and can be raised and lowered into a desired configuration. The womblike Suave Armchair, again made from certified wood, would serve as a witty sculptural addition to a living or family room. And the Pyrus Lights, made from recycled canoes, would pair nicely with the Budji armchair to add tropical flair to a room.

From Germany came beautiful curtain rods manufactured by Anna. Made of wood harvested from FSC forests, hand-forged iron and stainless steel, many of these sleek and sophisticated rods are powder-coated through a process that circulates the powder coating so there is no leftover waste. In addition, the hand-forged iron rods are protected by hand-rubbed, toxin-free wax.

CABOPINO Lighting is an impressive

CABOPINO Lighting is an impressive showroom in the Town’s commercial center, it  is a English-owned company. Even though the company is new the owner and showroom manager have 30 years of experience in this field.

Paul Wainwright, can give a professional advice on which light will suit best because he is a qualified lighting engineer.

“We give special attention on customer service whether they are looking for  budjet lighting or grand lighting, we can help” says Paul.
And he added that he can even give a free on-site lighting advice.

The objective of cabopino lighting  is  to offer a special or unique source of lighting and to provide high quality  and stylish designs at competitive prices.

Freshno, Calif. — Specialty merchant USA Baby has opened a store here on West Shaw Avenue in the Willow Plaza Shopping Center.

Lucky and Jatinder Malhi are the owners of the new store, which is their first franchise.

“When our daughter was born,” Lucky Malhi recalled, “we found a very limited number of choices in the Fresno area for infants’ furniture and accessories. This drove us to look for opportunities to fill what we felt was a real necessitated.”

USA Baby offers a wide array of cribs, rockers, bassinets, dressers, car seats, strollers, carriages, changing tables and more, all with choices of fabrics and styles. The Fresno store also includes a Child Space department offering beds, bunk beds, dressers, armoires,children’s office furniture and more for youngsters and teen-agers.

Jatinder Malhi previously owned and operated Soaprano Soaps and Lotions, a specialty seller in Squamish, British Columbia. Lucky Malhi served as logistics manager and production manager for Grundfos Pumps Mfg. Corp. in Fresno.

The Malhis live in Fresno with their 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Iman. Established in 1975, USA Baby is based in Lombard, Ill., and has nearly 70 stores in the United States and Mexico.

NiteLites an industry leader in the low voltage outdoor landscape lighting field specializing in both residential and commercial installations announces its newest franchise, NiteLites of San Diego, NiteLites first location in California. The new franchise is owned and operated by Bill Garland.

(PRWEB) January 27, 2006 — NiteLites an industry leader in the low voltage outdoor landscape lighting field specializing in both residential and commercial installations announces its newest franchise locally owned location in San Diego. The new franchise is operated by Bill Garland. If you are interested in outdoor lighting and would like a free night time demonstration contact Mr. Garland and his staff in the San Diego area at 858-375-0023.

NiteLites specializes in the production and installation of low voltage architectural lighting for both residential and commercial lighting applications. NiteLites provides many types of low voltage lighting fixtures including outdoor lights for architectural lighting, landscape lighting, patio and garden lighting, deck lighting, submersible lighting for fountains and ponds, and path lighting.

NiteLites landscape lighting systems offer many benefits:

NiteLites contemporary outdoor lighting systems are a smart investment. A NiteLites outdoor lighting system will increase the value and resale of your home and make your home the highlight of the neighborhood.

NiteLites architectural lighting systems are practical and elegant. You can enjoy more hours outside in the comfort of your own home and create an elegant atmosphere for entertaining with the illumination provided from NiteLites outdoor accent lighting fixtures.

NiteLites offers you an expandable system of landscape lights. NiteLites lighting systems are designed to meet your needs today and tomorrow.

NiteLites lighting systems are worry free. Each system is comprised of solid brass and copper fixtures and stainless steel transformers with 5 year warranty and bulbs carry a 1 year warranty. Installation of our decorative outdoor lighting is only done by trained lighting designers, NiteLites professionals with careful attention to detail and no disturbance to your landscaping or property. The systems are also maintained by full time NiteLites service crews.

In addition to their beauty, NiteLites outdoor lighting fixtures offer increased lighting for your safety and security. An outdoor lighting system will increase protection for your family and friends. NiteLites is the cure for any building or area masked in darkness.

In addition to residential lighting projects, NiteLites will create a custom landscape lighting design for your subdivision entrances, clubhouses, pools, and walkways; residential property developments; commercial developments; municipalities, public facilities, and park developments; as well as apartments, town homes, and condos.

NiteLites, founded in 1998, was previously distributor based and converted to a franchise model in 2004. President and CEO Thomas Frederick said the company is “experiencing dramatic growth” since he took over the company 3 years ago. Outdoor Lighting franchises also recently opened in Tampa, San Diego, and Nashville. Outdoor lighting franchises in Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Memphis, Boston, New Orleans, Miami, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Louisville, Milwaukee, Seattle, Hartford, Tucson, Denver, Lexington, and San Jose are still available as well as many other locations.

If you would like to see how NiteLites outdoor lighting can make your home the showcase of the neighborhood contact Mr. Garland and his staff in the San Diego area at (858)375-0023 or visit their website at http://www.nitelites.com/SanDiego/index.php For a great return on your investment, enjoy NiteLites — Outdoor Lighting as the ultimate home improvement project.

This report offers a ample picture of the household furniture sector in the United States and Canada, providing trends in furniture production, furniture consumption, furniture imports and exports. Factors determining the demand for furniture are examined, as well as furniture distribution channels, marketing policies and furniture prices.

Furniture production and consumption are broken down by product (household furniture, kitchen furniture, upholstered furniture, RTA furniture). A segmentation of the furniture market into geographic areas is also measured.

For each country the furniture supply structure is analyzed, with data on furniture companies and employment. Company profiles of the main furniture manufacturers and distributors, with turnover, market shares, number of outlets, production facilities, employees and product mix, are provided.

US and Canadian furniture imports and exports are broken down by country and product (office furniture, kitchen furniture, upholstered furniture, non-upholstered seats, bedroom furniture, seats parts and parts of furniture).

The analysis of household furniture distribution channels covers: autonomous furniture stores and chains, department stores and discounts, warehouse clubs, designer showrooms, direct sales.

The research comprises the Final determination in the antidumping duty investigation on US imports of wooden bedroom furniture from the People’s Republic of China as well as ways of approaching both the US and Canadian furniture market.

The wood and forestry sector is also considered: production, imports, exports and consumption data are provided for the main semi-finished wood products (sawnwood; wood-based panels: plywood, veneer sheets, particle board panels, fibreboard panels, MDF). Data on woodworking machinery imports and exports are also presented.

Addresses of over 140 furniture companies are also included.

Among the covered products: wooden furniture, metal furniture, contract furniture, office furniture, home furniture (household furniture), kitchen furniture, upholstered furniture (sofas and armchairs), living room furniture, dining room furniture, non-upholstered seats (chairs), bedroom furniture, beds, wardrobes, outdoor furnishings, RTA furniture (ready to assemble furniture), seats parts, parts of furniture, sawnwood, wood-based panels, plywood, veneer sheets, particle board panels, fibreboard panels, MDF (medium density fibreboard), woodworking machinery.

WW Creative Solutions, Inc.’s Solar Brick, offers a new way to light up a pathway, a pool deck, a drive way or patio and reduce energy costs. Their Road Markers are used for road stripping, taxiways, private runways, crosswalks, marking intersections, lane marking and much more. The Miracle Solar Energy Lighting Brick and Road Marker systems consists of a modular, self-contained lighting device that can be used for decorative or traffic flow purposes, powered only by solar energy charging capacitors. Light-Emitting Diode Solar Energy Lighting Bricks can change the future of outdoor decorative lighting.

Features
- Energy Cost Savings. Powered by the Sun. No trenching, no conduit, no wiring and no electric outlet required.
- Maintenance Savings. Helping property owners save time and money with virtually no maintenance for more than 10 years.
- Simple and Easy to Install. Install them almost anywhere and forget about them.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ — Permlight Products and the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) at UC Davis announced that Permlight has become an affiliate member of the CLTC. Permlight Products is a developer of advanced thermally managed residential LED lighting products used in recessed cans, under-cabinet lighting, pathway and stairwell lighting, outdoor decorative lighting, and advanced lighting and energy control systems.

“The CLTC will accelerate the adoption of LED systems in residential lighting applications through education and proof of concept projects,” commented Manuel Lynch, President and CEO of Permlight. “We believe that the CLTC labs, training facilities, and connections to both energy providers and builders that want to adopt environmentally friendly technologies will pave the road to homes in the near future that will consume almost 1/8th of the power required to light existing homes.”

The CLTC mission is to stimulate the application of energy efficient lighting by facilitating technology development and demonstrations, and offering outreach and education activities in partnership with electric utilities, lighting manufacturers, lighting professionals, and governmental agencies. The CLTC, established through a joint effort of the California Energy Commission and the University of California, Davis, conducts both cooperative and independent activities with lighting manufacturers, electrical utilities and the design and engineering professional communities. The California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program supports energy research, development and demonstration projects that will help improve the quality of life in California by bringing environmentally safe, affordable and reliable energy services and products to the marketplace. The PIER Buildings Program provided start-up funding for CLTC.

CLTC also announced that Permlight has sponsored a UC Davis design class that involves students in the design of “next generation lighting” for home and commercial applications using advanced LED systems.

“This industry sponsorship and collaboration in a design class is a particularly exciting opportunity for the students in enhancing their understanding of advanced technology and on how designs actually get manufactured and enter the marketplace,” commented Michael Siminovitch, Director of the California Lighting Technology Center. “Cooperation with Permlight as a class sponsor enhances the educational content and brings real world experience into the classroom addressing real world issues of efficiency and sustainability. Students with outstanding designs may have the opportunity to see them actually get produced and this type of experience is clearly a win win for both parties.”

Siminovitch also added, “I would like to mention that CLTC and Permlight have already garnered interest from California Home Builders, Lighting Designers, and Energy providers to judge the student designs.”

About Permlight
Permlight Products is a leading developer and manufacturer of thermally managed LED lighting systems for Signage (LED channel letters), Residential LED lighting (including recessed cans, under cabinet, and LED glass pendants), marina applications (docks/slips), and Theater and Performing Arts Center lighting. Founded in 1995, Permlight has the longest track record of supplying LED lighting systems that provide high brightness, low energy, long lifetime, and low maintenance. Using its enabling patented thermal management techniques for spreading and dissipating heat Permlight is well known for providing low cost solid state lighting systems.

This report offers a comprehensive picture of the upholstered furniture sector in the United States, providing trends in upholstered furniture production and consumption, upholstery imports and exports, prices, marketing policies and distribution. A comparison with the European market for upholstered furniture is also provided.

The US production of upholstered furniture is broken down by product (stationary upholstery, motion upholstery) and by covering material (fabric, leather, microfibres). Data on the supply structure (employment, number of companies) in the upholstered furniture sector are provided for the main US states. Data on turnover and market shares are provided for the leading upholstered furniture manufacturers active on the US market.

A focus on the leather upholstery segment is provided, with data on the US consumption and imports compared with those of Western Europe and the rest of the world, as well as sales and market shares of the leading upholstery firms active on the US market. A breakdown of the US upholstered furniture imports and exports is provided by country and area, as well as foreign companies’ sales on the US market.

The consumption trend is considered in the time span 1998-2005, and it is broken down by product (stationary upholstery, motion upholstery, recliners) and by covering material (fabric, leather, microfibres). Data and forecasts on the upholstered furniture consumption are provided by type of covering and for the main local markets. Factors determining the demand for upholstery products are also considered, as well as a profile of the US consumer.

The analysis of household furniture distribution channels covers: specialized chains and shops (independent shops, leading furniture retailers), non-specialised chains and shops (department stores, discounts, etc.), other distribution channels (leasing, warehouse clubs, direct sales, mail order, e-commerce). The top 100 furniture distributors are broken down by price range/product type and by type of distributor (furniture retailers, conventional stores, department stores, discounts).

List prices for upholstery products are provided for the main manufacturers, by product (sofas, recliners), price range and covering material (fabric, leather). Short profiles are provided for the most representative upholstered furniture manufacturers and distributors (both US and foreign companies), with data on turnover, market shares, product mix, brands, marketing policies and distribution channels, mergers & acquisitions.

The report also examines the opportunities on the US furniture market, with current and future trends. The annex provides the final determination in the antidumping duty investigation on imports of wooden bedroom furniture from the People’s Republic of China.

Addresses of about 180 upholstered furniture companies mentioned in the report are also included.

Among the covered products: upholstered furniture; fabric upholstery, leather upholstery, microfibre upholstery; traditional and classic upholstered furniture; modern and contemporary upholstered furniture, casual upholstered furniture, transitional upholstered furniture, design upholstered furniture, country upholstered furniture; stationary upholstered furniture, motion upholstered furniture, recliners, fabric recliners, leather recliners; upholstered seating: reclining chairs, wood-framed upholstery chairs, metal-framed upholstery chairs; sofa beds, sofas, fabric sofas, leather sofas; sectionals, seats and chairs; home theatre seating (individual seats / love seats /divan-type seating); high end upholstery, mid range upholstery, low end upholstery.

Companies Mentioned
Tokoro, Inc, American Furniture Warehouse, Burdines-Macy’s, CTC/Chicago Textile Corporation, Douglas Furniture of California LLC, Ethan Allen, Famous-Barr, G Romano Inc, HH Hiatt Furniture, Interline, Jsf Industries, Kaufmann’s, Lacquercraft - Universal Furniture, Moretti’s Design Collection Inc, Norwalk Furniture, Omnia Leather, Palecek, Riverside Furniture Corp, ShopKo Stores Inc, Target Corporation, Vaughan Furniture, Wal Mart.